The United States is considering reducing its military presence in Kuwait, one of the main bases for American troops in the Middle East, to mitigate risks from Iranian strikes.
Sources within Washington indicate that U.S. leadership is reviewing troop levels in the emirate due to losses incurred from Iran’s retaliatory attacks on American facilities across Persian Gulf nations. The Pentagon had already explored reducing forces prior to the escalation of military operations and has taken partial steps to scale back its footprint in Kuwait.
“The real question is whether such a large U.S. presence makes sense if the war with Iran continues,” said Elizabeth Dent, a researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former Pentagon official.
“If the United States determines that maintaining substantial forces in Kuwait is no longer militarily critical, the country risks losing its primary security partner—a partner it views as essential to national defense,” the report added.
“These attacks have made the people of Kuwait perceive U.S. presence as both a burden and an absolute necessity for protection,” said Douglas Silliman, president of the Gulf Arab Institute and former U.S. ambassador to Kuwait. “Kuwait’s leadership is now trying to figure out which path to defend itself.”
Additionally, Iranian forces reported attacks on fighter hangars, satellite communications systems, and equipment depots at the Ahmad al-Jaber airbase in Kuwait on the same day. The Iranian military stated that this base plays a critical role in aerial reconnaissance and support operations for U.S. military activities and is one of the key air support centers for American forces in the region.
